She was spotted in the parking lot of a big grocery store; big belly showed she was in a very advanced pregnancy state. We asked on social media who could be able to take her into a foster home while the puppies were weaned, but she didn’t let us meet the puppies until she decided it was the right time.

Lola was fed by several people who did their shopping at the store, with her sweet look and her calm energy she had a couple meals guaranteed for every day.

We tried following her after she ate, but rapidly disappeared through the bushes and after almost an hour of looking for her and her puppies in the dazzling sun. Despite several attempts we could not find them, we tried playing the sound of crying puppies so she would take us to them but she wouldn’t, we fed her lots so she would want to go and sleep with her puppies, that plan didn’t work either.

We tried tying a long rope to Lola and following her, and this attempt was working out; she actually took us to her den, but then Lola had other plans in mind as the den was empty! Clearly she needed her own time and space to raise her puppies, several people talked about her and her puppies on the social media but nobody had succeeded in identifying where the puppies were at all so they could be found and cared for.

As I was coming off from the plane last Friday, I received several messages about Lola’s puppies being found, a couple had fed her lots and then followed her, and found the puppies not long after. It is amazing how she waited until she was ready. We had her for a couple of days in a friend’s veterinary clinic and after that we took her and the 9 puppies she had given birth to their foster home. A group of neighbors had arranged it so they would take care of the puppies and mama dog until them all found homes.

Maitena and Nina are the main guardians and are doing a terrific job raising up the puppies and giving them their medicated baths because they got ringworm while in the den.

One of the many calls I have received about them was about a couple that want to adopt mama dog; they even named her, they visited her and met the puppies. They believe Lola will be the perfect addition to their family. Lola’s story has had an important role in how the community got together to help in this situation.

Puppies will be spayed, vaccinated, dewormed and given in adoption as soon as they fully recover from their condition.

--EF

Consider fostering dogs as it is a great way to help animals if you cannot adopt and being a foster home is something that has the power of saving lives!